Explosions (P)

[Amelie]

The night has come and with it many interesting personalities. Most of them were staying in plain sight where any lawman could pick them up and some were hidden carefully in the shadows. Tamako could have been one of those this evening or not? She was sitting on top of the house parallel to the one she was about to stalk. Many people were loading some kind of cargo into large carts ran by horses. Of course they also had a crest of the Hyuuga house which gives them the privilege of not being screened by customs. Tamako knew what was that they were loading, nothing legal for sure, her informants were not specific on what type of goods it was, only that it was illegal. In fact nobody knew they were illegal fireworks that were not made under the legal supervision nor checked.

Tamako brought a mobile operations bag packed with clothes, a carefully packed rifle crossbow modified with various gimmicks enabling her to unpack them to make a fully functional crossbow again. Of course the crossbow needed some 100 bolts (100x Arrowhead: Concussion, 100x Shaft: Flechette, 100x Fletching: Razor Blade), which were all loaded inside the 10 magazines modified to hold five types of ammo. She also packed a gas mask with two filters, 4 inch flashlight, two glow sticks, compass and world map, two wireless radios, some fifteen flints, a gem and a rebreather. She wore a gauntlet and greaves for protection as well. She tried to be as discreet as possible sitting there on top of that house.

She clipped a binocular and a sniper goggle which is modified with many enhancements on the side of this bag, this would look pretty normal to the rest of the world and nobody would suspect she was combat ready at any time. Tamako has chosen to wear a nice dark blue kimono which was also stuffed with hidden weapons. One kunai was well hidden from view under her kimono's right sleeve, another kunai was on the other sleeve, an explosive tag attached to it. There were two more exploding tags and three exploding mine hidden inside pockets with a multi-tool for every situation. She also had a Leaf style tactical vest over the kimono with only a cover listening devices inside the pockets. Around her waist would sit a butt bag housing a red dot sight and at least five flints to make fire with.

As you can see Tamako was pretty prepared for a possible skirmish. In fact other side branch Hyuuga, her operatives were positioned nearby to provide the main bulk or support when needed. Tamako had black hair with a few strands of hair springing from her head, kept together with white bands at the height of her ears in two pony-tails was her signature looks.

[zarak729]

(Enter!)

After concluding his business at the Hokage Tower the Chuunin set off on the route back home, noting how late it was getting. Given how he wasn't on duty today the Kedoin was dressed in casual attire; a black T shirt, dark blue pants and his trademark hooded cloak which concealed the Melody Arm on his right arm containing the Cryo, Thermal, Shock and Piston Enhancement. His Leaf Village headband was fastened to his right arm and his feet rested inside dark blue sandals. Inside his cloak two kunai rested, each with an explosive tag wrapped around its hilt just in case. His gas-mask with filter was bouncing around his neck and his sniper goggles, with Anti-Flash Lenses, Canny Descrier, Night-Vision, Condition Viewing Vision, Thermal Vision, X-Ray Vision, Camera Vision and Zooming vision rested atop his forehead, both ready to be snapped on at a moments notice. Inside his cloak pouch lay an envelope containing 16,000 Ryo and a component voucher.

"Should have picked a mission while I was there. More productive use of my time than loafing around at home and reading mystery novels."

Running his fingers through long, dark-brown hair the Kedoin grumbled to himself as his feet carried him down a path through one of the better residential districts in the Village. Given the late hour many shops were already closed up and there were few souls on the street besides him. This made for a silent atmosphere which better facilitated his thinking processes for which he was grateful. It seemed like he had been doing a lot of that lately. Thinking about past events and missions, about future trials and difficulties, about life and death, good and evil, morality and about his own strengths and weaknesses. The thoughts buzzed around his head, mixing and interacting with one another to coalesce and deteriorate forming newer trails of thought. His cognitive processes were distracted by the distinct sound of a horses neigh. 

His eyes spotted a group of people up ahead who seemed to be loading cargo into carts run by horses. This was nothing odd in itself as there were quite a few businesses in this part of town which facilitated the supplication of cargo to various customers. However none operated at this time of night as far as he knew. Curiously he slowed his pace down as he passed by the crew, noting the well-known crest of the Hyuuga on the carts which did not alleviate his suspicions of something strange going on. The men had also eyed him cautiously, with guarded expressions and postures as he passed by, having taken note of the Leaf Village headband strapped to his arm marking him as a shinobi. By this time he was confident that there was something strange afoot and this warranted a closer look. However he did not think barging up to the men and demanding answers was the right way to go about it. A more tactful approach was needed. 

Zakari rounded the corner and pressed his back against the wall, putting him out of view of the men but still within earshot. He brought his goggles down over his eyes and activated its X-Ray feature which would allow him to take a closer look at what was inside the cargo these men of the noble Hyuuga clan were transporting at an hour late as this...

[Amelie]

When anyone, even Hyuuga look at the cargo through x-ray they'd see just some tubes, nothing really suspicious. The Hyuuga were the ones packaging the fireworks after all. "It was time." her radio crackled and revealed a voice of her operative, nearest to the cargo men. With silent movements Tamako assembled her sniper rifle loading in the concussion ammo, her goal was not to kill but pacify. Nothing was standing between her and the carts apart from distance of around 100m which she could no doubt cross easily with her rifle or skills. She eyed the cross hairs, aimed at a random cargo man. She could have easily killed the guy even with a concussion ammo if shot straight at his throat but she wasn't about to do that. The men were almost done loading the first cart.

She waited for the signal to go. The plan was to shoot concussion ammo to disorientate the men while her Hyuuga operatives kidnapped each of them together with the whole cart. For this they needed to be a bit further by the road, not in the vicinity of their storage building. "Wait, I see someone." one of her operatives has seen an unknown shinobi passing by. "Person identified as Leaf Shinobi." that was as far as they could identify him with current resources. Tamako looked at the man through her sights, waiting patiently when he would get away from there. "Thanks, do not do anything yet." she still had some time before having to engage.

[zarak729]

Zakari wore a frown as he scanned the contents of the cargo through his goggles, finding only what appeared to be cylinders of sorts inside rather than the illegal weapons and exotic beasts he was expecting. Quite a let down to be honest. However that still didn't explain the shifty demeanor of the men or the late hour at which they were conducting their business. Revealing himself to them was a line of thought he abandoned immediately. Adopting a disguise through the Henge technique or his bloodline was considered next but he had a feeling those guys would get suspicious no matter who approached them. So therefore he was left with one last option.

The Kedoin would begin molding chakra and forming handseals for a Genjutsu that would shroud him from mortal eyes with the veil on invisibility. His clothes, equipment and weapons would also be affected by this technique, rendering them all unseen allowing the Kedoin to move in closer to the group, taking every mean possible to prevent creating unnecessary noise. His plan was to get close enough to catch the conversation these men were having, perhaps revealing their ill-intentions which he could take as confirmation that these men were up to no good. If not then he could always just continue back on his way home with none being the wiser and his time wasted in pursuit of stimulation.

Technique used:

SPOILER: Click to show

Invisibility
Rank: "C"
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: Makes the target they touch invisible.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: ---
Description: Affects anyone who sees the target. The user is able to perform this technique on the target they touch. The duration of this technique lasts for 5 minutes per class level. This technique may be negated. The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If the user performs the Jutsu on someone else, neither the user nor their allies can see the subject, unless they can normally see invisible things. Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible, such as a trailing rope. Of course, the subject is not silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The Jutsu ends if the subject attacks any opponent. For purposes of this Jutsu, an attack includes any Jutsu targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the Jutsu. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon and have them attack. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear.
Limit: Must know the Glamour Perception.

[Amelie]

While watching at the man, he simply vanished when she blinked. Thinking he was really just a passerby Tamako paid no more attention to him, instead averted her eyes on the road those carts had to take to leave for the gates. She had her people at that road, they were waiting for the ambush to go. Finally the men finished loading their cargo "Hey, fancy a cigarette?" one man asked the man next to him. "No, I promised my wife I'd quit. Apparently I always stink after one or two." the other man quickly barked at the first one and signaled with his hands that it was a no go. "C'mon, we have a long road ahead of us. Just one for old times sake." the first man still tried to persuade the other. After a long pause "....alright, just one. For long times sake." and they laughed together.

After a few short whiles another man came in sight "All done, you lot go ahead like we planned and there'll be no trouble." both cargo men jumped on the drivers seat "Eye sir." they said at the same time. The cart was moving along the road, very slowly at first. They didn't make much noise even when the cart moved much faster, they were headed towards the ambush site about 400m from here. Tamako got on her feet and jumped on the next roof and then the next one too while also watching the cart. When they were halfway at the ambush site she sped it up to get into position just about 100m from the main happening. Within a few minutes the cart would be at the location, all of Tamako's people would hear her voice through the radio telling them to prepare.

She aimed at the drivers seat and fired the concussion shot, hitting the mark perfectly. If there was someone else around she wouldn't have noticed due to the sheer concentration on the shot. What was supposed to be a quiet operation suddenly turned into flaming chaos of exploding fireworks. The whole operation has failed, they didn't consider this outcome. The operatives were stunned for a while but still went in to get the cargo men fast then clear the surroundings before anyone can get to them.

[zarak729]

A smug grin would appear on the Kedoins invisible features as he took his place among the men without either of them noticing. He paid close attention to their discussion, trying to decipher any hidden meanings or codes to the best of his ability but gleaming nothing of value. Except the fact that they were both increasing their chances of dying to stroke, coronary heart disease and lung cancer if they didn't quit this habit. He was beginning to feel slightly guilty for continuing to sneak around and finding no evidence to confirm his suspicions. As the men began to move the cargo Zakari made a split-second decision to join them and snuck into the back of the cart, finding a seat on one of the crates. At the very least he could see this through the end.

The cart began to slowly and steadily move down the road towards its destination with the two men upfront in the drivers seat and the Leaf-nin in the back. The men riding up-front did not speak again for the remainder of the ride which made for a peaceful cart-ride. Zakari was enjoying it in-spite of himself, it sure beat walking home. He would remain cloaked for the next ten minutes or so and he could quickly re-apply it in a moment if he felt it necessary. However it didn't really seem necessary at the moment, the way things were going it looked like it was going to be another boring night. Or that was what he was thinking before he saw the blur of an arrow streaking through the air, heading straight for the cart.

FUCKSHITNOTAGAINSCREWTHIS!!!

His reflexes, honed with years of training and practice, took over faster than he could even comprehend what was going on. Chakra was molded and sent to his soles in an instant allowing him to launch himself off the side of the cart with his arms raised up high and spine relaxed which allowed him to perform a really sick back flip (Later he would realize that since he was invisible no-one saw his back flip which would irritate him for the next two days). The arrow would make contact with the cart the moment his feet touched the ground, several feet away from the cart, releasing a high pitched wailing sound that would assault his auditory senses and deafen him. Before he would even deal with this the cart exploded in a mess of fire and debris releasing a shock-wave that would be more than enough to knock him off his feet and on his ass. The Chuunin would sit there for a few moments watching the blaze of the burning cart and the warmth of the flames wash over him.

His eyes would flicker over the prone bodies of those riding the cart, who hadn't been able to avoid the explosion in time. They were probably the targets of whomsoever made the attack and right now they were bleeding, bruised and burnt to high hell unless he did something. And he could do something being a Medical ninja and trained for these kinds of situations. But before he could administer healing he needed to set up some protection for all their sakes since it was obvious that they were being targeted by an enemy- no, it could be multiple enemy combatants for all he knew. A bit beyond his capacity to fight at the moment. Therefore he would get to work on the drivers and hope other passing ninja or law enforcement were on their way to check the situation out.

Rising to his feet in an instant the Kedoin would sprint over two where the two prone bodies lay, a cursory glance revealing that they were still within the realm of the living but not for much longer. His invisibility was only broken if he made an action resembling an attack. Fine by him, he would get others to do the fighting for him. Deftly his fingers sped into action forming the handseals for the Earth Clone technique which would emerge from the ground around the Kedoin and victims in a square formation. The fifth clone would rise right in the middle of the formation and begin to form handseals of his own as the Kedoin activated the night vision feature of his goggles and began to administer healing. A circle of earth would rise around the three at a height of 4 feet which would make for some cramped working conditions but still provide them with adequate cover from any more attacks. Another set of handseals performed by the clone would seal up the top opening of the earth prison cutting off any remaining weak spots.

"This is probably going to hurt. Sorry about that..."

Inside the Earth Prison Zakari would begin to mold chakra, his palms glowing with a green luminescence as they moved towards the injuries directed towards the more wounded of the pair. Outside the four Earth Clones would adopt a guarded stance and prepare to fend off any incoming attacks to buy their creator more time with which to dispense healing.

Techniques still active:
Invisibility

Techniques used:
Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu Rock Clone Technique 
Healing Hands (Moderate) 

Used by 5th Earth Clone:
Daichi Kangoku No Jutsu (Earth Prison Technique) (C rank)
Kangoku Nobebou (Prison Bars) 

[Amelie]

She blinked twice, no trice but a few same looking goons were actually protecting those two cart men. They were surrounded by what looks like a technique. Tamako frowned, was it that other ninja that walked around who interfered? While looking away from her scopes she would activate Byakugan, her eyes scanned the whole area around her. The Konoha Military Police where not on their heels yet, only problem were the obvious bunshins and whoever created the barrier between her and those cart men. Her other clansmen were already begining to attack each of those clones with their Jyuuken, it won't take long until they pierce through their defenses. "After you get rid of the clones, please stay back. We don't want a Konoha ninja to identify you." she quickly asked that of them.

If the ninja would know their identity, most likely they'd have to dispose of that person or persuade them to not reveal it. Tamako didn't have to fire another shot at the bunshins, instead her gaze filled with amazing Byakugan powers scanned their vicinity for movements. She counted that the other carts would have been behind each other in the 15 minute intervals. In the corner of her eyes, within maximum range she spotted movement. They were most likely the Hyuuga mafia, friends of the smugglers. With any luck they'll see who protected their men and attack him/her. Even smugglers didn't like anyone knowing about their operation.

"Hey, what has happened." shouted one of the Hyuuga smugglers trying to find the survivors.

[zarak729]

"Great. Just keeps getting better and better."

His innate connection with his clones alerted him the moment they were swarmed by the enemy combatants, far more than they could handle. They would only be able to hold them off for only so long before the clone holding up the earth prison was left undefended. On the plus side he was almost finished with his ministrations, most of the burns were superficial and there seemed to be no internal injuries. The sound released by the arrow and the explosion would have left them temporarily deaf at best. No life threatening injuries thankfully. The Kedoin released a sigh as he finished, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead as he diverted his attention to the battle outside through the senses of his clones. And that was when he realized that there were more troubles in store for him; the combatants bearing down upon his clones were clearly sporting the white occuli of the Hyuuga clan!

My Byakugan? Well you see, it increases my visual prowess, and makes seeing through chakra such as ninjutsu and Genjutsu much easier. However, it also allows us to see chakra flow, which gives us hyuuga's the capability to fight with extreme chakra control.

Those were the words of Naruka, a former Snow-nin and short-term travelling companion, when asked about his Hyuuga heritage. This meant that his opponents could clearly see him through the earth prison and not only that but they would also be able to see him through the Invisibility technique he had active. He could just dispel the earth prison and make a run for it but that would mean leaving behind these two victims to their mercy. However he couldn't take them with him, they were a bit too heavy to carry by himself. He could summon a fresh batch of clones but they would be destroyed right away. No time to think, no time to plan. His heart fell as he lost connection with the last clone which crumbled under the onslaught of Taijutsu attacks. There was one clone left... The one holding up the earth prison and unable to attack...

And just like that the enemy combatants retreated. No, it was more like they dispersed. Why? They were on the cusp of defeating his last clone and capturing them, why would they give up such a tactical advantage. Maybe there were reinforcements arriving? Friends of these cartsmen maybe? Either way he wasn't going to stick around and wait for them. He needed to get out of here right away and this was the perfect opportunity. The Kedoin would start weaving handseals, casting one jutsu after another. First he would cover his entire body in a Shield of Earth that would provide him with a strong layer of defense at the cost of slowing him down. After that he would cast the Invisibility technique on each of the cartsmen rendering them unseen. Next he would coat his body in chakra and sink into the earth, moving through the earth as if it was water. The clone would take this chance to dispel the earth prison and rush inside grabbing hold of the two unconscious cartsmen, hoisting one over each shoulder and running off into a nearby thicket of trees, heading to a nearby training field which would be empty at this time of night.

The moment the clone would leave the immediate area the original Zakari would pour cast the Hands of the Grave technique, soaking the nearby soil with his chakra. He could already feel footsteps approaching his position but unless they had their Doujutsu active they would have missed the clone running off in to the trees. If they tried to go off after it them they would have to directly step on the ground soaked in his chakra which would restrain them with for a short moment, giving the clone a headstart. The Kedoin himself would be safe from the effects of the technique given that he was directly beneath the batch of earth he was enchanting and would swim off in the direction of the training field after his clone. 

---

If all went well then the Kedoin would find himself in a small clearing amidst the trees with the Earth Clone standing guard over the two unconscious bodies. He could feel the fatigue spreading throughout his body, he had expended far too much chakra than he was used to. And he had a feeling that this wasn't over yet, the Byakugan could see through ninjutsu so it wasn't a bad bet that they had no trouble keeping track of him as he escaped. Which meant that they would be here soon if not already. There was no point in running, he would just be wasting his energy. Their targets were the two cartsmen, their intention was to capture them. The arrow they had fired, he remembered, was not an explosive one but rather a concussive one. The explosion was most likely the result of the arrow hitting the cargo which might have been combustible. 

The Kedoin took a seat underneath the tree, laying his back against the bark as he pulled out the kunai from his inner cloak pocket and placed it in one of the outer pockets instead for easier access. For now he resigned himself to regaining as much chakra as he could before they came back. It looks like he was getting the interesting evening he had wished for though not exactly the way he wanted it.

Techs used:

Doton no Yoroi (Shield of Earth)
Doton - Dochuu Eigyo (Underground Fish Projection)
Boketsu Hando (Hands of the Grave)
Invisibility 

[Amelie]

{exit}